Chapter 2

Lylaia had made her way in silence back to Whiterun where Leon had parted with a curt nod and left for Jarrvaskar. She had then trudged slowly back to The Bannered Mare where she waved to Mirvana as she walked up the stairs to her room. When Lylaia entered she got a quick glance about the room before going to sleep. A queen sized bed, bed-side tables, thin walls, small over-head lamp, large rug. She didn't bother to take in anything else before dumping her quill and bow on the table in the corner of the room. She unlaced her boots and kicked them off with a sigh before flopping into the bed and almost immediately falling asleep.

Lylaia awoke as light filtered in through the crack in between the door. She was a little groggy but she pushed herself out of bed and into a standing position. She licked her lips a little and shuffled over to where she had kicked her boots off the night before. She bent over to pick them up and someone knocked loudly on the door.

Lylaia almost fell over when Leon called in, "Hey! You were supposed to be up at Jarrvaskar hours ago!" She vaguely remembered picking out a time to meet him up at the mead hall and fill out the paper-work to hire Leon for a couple of moons.

Lylaia sighed and quickly put her boots on and laced them up. She grabbed her quill and bow and slung them both over her shoulder, "Right, right! I'm really sorry…" She rolled her eyes and opened the door to find Leon in his same suit of armor chuckling heartily. She cocked an eyebrow, "What the hell is this?"

Leon laughed out loud, "You fell for it! I knew Wood Elves were gullible!" He seemed caught up in his own joke he didn't realize Lylaia boiling with unending rage.

She twitched a bit on her left eye, "Leon. What exactly are you doing here?"

He smiled, "Well I came to get you. Mirvana said you just about collapsed and that you might have a hard time of getting up, so if we leave right now you'll be just on time to talk to Vilkas and get those papers filled out."

Lylaia glared mercilessly at him, "Why don't you walk downstairs, and wait outside for me." She fought hard to remain calm.

Leon nodded, "Alright, sounds like a plan. I'll see you in a bit." He looked her up and down and his eyes landed on the top of her head, "You might want to work on that a little…"

Lylaia curiously watched him walk away and then closed her doors and ran to the mirror above the right bed-side table. A clump of her snow-white hairs were sticking straight up in a weird zigzag formation. "Great, the Chosen Champion of Hircine goes rogue and is later found at The Fair…" she muttered angrily as she fought with her hands to pull it back into one of her ponytails, which were both now loose and a bit muddled. She groaned and pulled them out. Lylaia snapped her fingers remembering the comb she had brought with her. She searched her quill and found it. The comb was thin and had short, wiry bristles that ran along its long, black body. At the base it was decorated with a row of golden flowers that danced up and down the comb in a wave of color.

When Lylaia was done brushing her hair and making sure all other physical catastrophes were averted she opened the doors to her room and made her way downstairs. "See ya soon Mirvana!" Lylaia waved to the innkeeper as she walked towards the door. Mirvana waved back and returned to sorting something under the counter.

Lylaia opened the door to see Leon sitting on the bottom step talking to one of the merchants running a vegetable booth next to the inn. She walked down the steps and tapped Leon on the shoulder, "Hey? Can we talk for a second."

Leon nodded, "Sure thing." He nodded and waved to the merchant before walking away from the inn and towards the next district of Whiterun. "So do you wanna talk here, or up at Jarrvaskar?" He smiled at her.

Lylaia sighed, "I'm really sorry about this… but I actually have to return to Valenwood."

Leon looked confused and a little worried, "Is everything okay?"

Lylaia shook her head, "My teacher seems to be plagued with a vicious disease and they requested I return immediately."

Leon cocked an eyebrow, "Who's they?"

Lylaia did a mental eye-roll, "The…er, Council of Alchemy in Valenwood." She avoided eye contact for a split second hoping he would take the bait.

Leon nodded, "Alright. Well I'm very sorry about your teacher, and tell him that I wish him good health and a swift recovery."

Lylaia smiled, "I will surely relay your message. And, once again, I am very sorry for wasting your time the other night… I was so foolish to think I would be able to find such a rare flower."

Leon smiled, "Well, safe travels!" He waved to her kindly and turned to walk up to Jarrvaskar.

Lylaia sighed with relief and headed towards the gate at the southern tip of the city. She walked at a brisk pace and nodded to the guards to open the door. The two guards who stood at the top of the gate on a small wall nodded and each cranked a wheel that slowly pulled the gate open with thick, heavy chains.

Lylaia walked took one step towards the gate and felt the ground shake. She cocked an eyebrow and stopped looking around. 'Earthquakes? In Skyrim? Nah… Must be imagining things' she thought to herself. Lylaia took three more steps and the ground shook again. "What the heck is going-" she started to shout but was cut off by a violent screech.

The noise was like iron scraping against rock violently. Lylaia winced at how loud it was and looked around violently to find the source. Suddenly a dark patch appeared on the ground in front of her, a shadow. It grew quickly and Lylaia looked up to see a legend coming to life.

The only word capable of describing the creature was dragon. It had black scaly skin, with spikes on its back and head. Its wings were torn from battle and weather. Its eyes were a deep brown color that looked as if it could strike fear into the heart of a nation. Its claws were wickedly sharp, much like it's long fangs that ringed its mouth.

It landed on the wall where the two guards had been opening the gate and they fell back with surprise. It screeched another battle cry into the midday air and the whole city was silent, for a heartbeat. The calm before the storm lasted only so long, and the Dragon's mouth opened to unleash a blast of fire upon the blacksmith's building, instantly charring the roof and setting the walls on fire.

People screamed and ran while the guards grabbed bows and arrows and tried to shoot it. Lylaia was dumbfounded for at least a minute. When finally someone grabbed her arm and pulled her to cover behind a house. Lylaia looked up to see Leon peeking around the corner and pulling out his Battle Axe.

"What the heck are you doing down here?" Lylaia called above the screams and roars of the battle.

"You know, dragons have been extinct for thousands of years. News of one attacking the town kind of travels fast, aside from the fact that we can hear it shout from up at Jarrvaskar" Leon explained crouching and looking around the corner only to quickly hide back behind the cover as a bolt of flame flew past him.

"How the heck are we supposed to kill this thing?" Lylaia was closed to a panic. 'Oh Hircine, what the hell do I do?' she thought wildly. "Use Leon!" Hircine's voice echoed in her mind. Lylaia was confused, 'What does that mean?' "No Hircine! You foolish hunter! If the boy does not find out on his own the alignment of fate could be shattered!" there was a new voice that sounded like more of a raspy feminine voice. "Hush Up Meridia! This is going to be fun! Fate, shattered? Great!" another different voice that sounded a bit more Nordic and wholesome rang inside of her head. "Alright, alright, let's not drive the young lady crazy" Hircine's familiar voice calmed Lylaia. "Crazy? But those are the best kind of people!" the wholesome voice said again with a little disappointment. 'Hircine, my lord, what are these other voices mean by shattering fate with Leon Stryde?' Lylaia asked slowly.

Hircine seemed to be taking a deep breath, "The only mortal on the plane of Nirn that can possibly kill that dragon is Leon Stryde." The feminine voice chimed in again, "Don't you dare Hircine!" Hircine sounded angry and defiant, "Because he is the Dragonborn!"